The RCEP Agreement consists of a preamble, 20 chapters (including: initial provisions and general definitions, trade in goods, rules of origin, customs procedures and trade facilitation, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, standards, technical regulations and conformity Assessment procedures, trade remedies, trade in services, temporary movement of natural persons, investment, intellectual property, e-commerce, competition, small and medium-sized enterprises, economic and technical cooperation, government procurement, general terms and exceptions, institutional terms, dispute settlement, final terms chapter), 4 It consists of an attachment to a market access commitment form (including: tariff commitment form, service specific commitment form, investment retention and non-conforming measures commitment form, and temporary movement of natural persons specific commitment form). Chapter 1 Initial Terms and General Definitions This chapter mainly states that the goal of the RCEP Parties is to jointly establish a modern, comprehensive, high-quality and mutually beneficial economic partnership cooperation framework to promote regional trade and investment growth. and contribute to global economic development. This section also defines common terms used in the Agreement. Chapter 2: Trade in Goods This chapter aims to promote a high level of trade liberalization in the region and stipulates commitments related to trade in goods. Provisions include: a commitment to grant national treatment to goods of other contracting parties in accordance with Article 3 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade; preferential market access through the gradual implementation of tariff liberalization; temporary duty-free entry of specific goods; the elimination of agricultural export subsidies; and Comprehensively remove restrictions on non-tariff measures such as quantity restrictions, import licensing process management, and fees and procedures related to import and export. Chapter 3 Rules of Origin This chapter determines the rules for identifying originating goods that are eligible for preferential tariff treatment under RCEP. While ensuring the application of the principle of substantial change, it highlights technical feasibility, trade facilitation and business friendliness to make it easy for enterprises, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to understand and use the RCEP Agreement. In the first section of this chapter, Articles 2 (originating goods) and 3 (wholly obtained or fully produced goods) and Annex 1 "Product-Specific Rules of Origin" (PSR) set out the rules for granting goods "origin bit" standard. The agreement also allows the value content from any RCEP party to be taken into account when determining whether goods are eligible for RCEP tariff preferences, and the accumulation of origin content rules will be implemented. In Section 2, relevant operational certification procedures are stipulated, including detailed procedures for applying for RCEP certificate of origin, applying for preferential tariff treatment, and verifying the "original status" of goods. This chapter has two annexes: (1) Product-specific rules of origin, covering approximately 5,205 6-digit tax items; (2) Minimum information requirements, which sets out the information required for a certificate of origin or declaration of origin. Chapter 4 Customs Procedures and Trade Facilitation This chapter aims to create a system that promotes regional supply chains through provisions that ensure predictability, consistency and transparency in customs laws and regulations, as well as provisions that promote effective management of customs procedures and expeditious clearance of goods. environment. This chapter contains enhanced provisions that are higher than the level of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, including: advance ruling on tariff classification, origin and customs valuation; providing operators (authorized operators) who meet specific conditions with import, export, transit Facilitation measures related to formalities and procedures; risk management methods for customs supervision and post-clearance review, etc. Chapter 5 Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures This chapter sets out the basic framework for the development, adoption and implementation of sanitary and phytosanitary measures to protect human, animal or plant life or health, while ensuring that such measures are as non-trade restrictive as possible and that There is no unreasonable discrimination in the sanitary and phytosanitary measures implemented by Parties under similar conditions. Although the contracting parties have stated their rights and obligations in the WTO Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, the Agreement has strengthened the implementation of pest-free and low-endemic areas, risk analysis, audits, certifications, import inspections, and emergency measures. terms for execution. Chapter 6 Standards, Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment Procedures This chapter strengthens the implementation of the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade by the Parties and recognizes the understanding reached by the Parties on standards, technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures.

At the same time, the parties are encouraged to reduce unnecessary technical barriers to trade in the recognition of standards, technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures, and ensure that standards, technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures comply with the provisions of the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade and other aspects of information exchange and cooperation. Chapter 7 Trade Remedies This chapter includes two parts: “Safeguard Measures” and “Anti-dumping and Countervailing Duties”. Regarding safeguard measures, the agreement reaffirms the rights and obligations of the contracting parties under the WTO Agreement on Safeguards and establishes a transitional safeguard measure system to provide relief to parties who suffer damage due to the implementation of the agreement's tax reductions. Regarding anti-dumping and countervailing duties, the agreement reaffirms the rights and obligations of the contracting parties in relevant WTO agreements, and formulates an annex "Practice Related to Anti-dumping and Countervailing Investigations" to standardize written information, consultation opportunities, ruling announcements and instructions, etc. Implement practices to promote transparency and due process in trade remedy investigations. Chapter 8 Trade in Services This chapter reduces the restrictive and discriminatory measures of each member that affect cross-border trade in services, and creates conditions for further expansion of trade in services between contracting parties. Including market access commitment schedule, national treatment, most-favored nation treatment, local presence, domestic regulations and other rules. Some parties use a negative list approach to make market access commitments, requiring parties currently using a positive list to convert to a negative list model and make arrangements for their service commitments within 6 years after the agreement enters into force. Chapter 8 Annex 1: Financial Services Annex The Financial Services Annex formulates specific rules on financial services, while providing sufficient policy and regulatory space to prevent financial system instability. In addition to the obligations under Chapter 8 (Trade in Services), this Annex also includes a robust prudential exception to ensure that financial regulators retain the ability to develop measures that support the integrity and stability of the financial system. This Annex also includes financial regulatory transparency obligations, under which Parties undertake not to prevent the transfer or processing of information necessary for the conduct of business and the provision of new financial services. This Annex also stipulates that the Parties may discuss, through consultations and other means, solutions to balance of payments crises or situations that may escalate into balance of payments crises. Chapter 8 Annex 2: Telecommunications Services Annex This Annex sets out a set of regulatory frameworks related to trade in telecommunications services. Building on all existing ASEAN '10 1' Free Trade Agreement telecommunications services annexes, the annexes also include regulatory approaches, international submarine cable systems, unbundling of network elements, access to poles, pipelines and pipe networks, international Terms such as mobile roaming, flexibility in technology choice, etc. Annex III to Chapter 8: Professional Services Annex This Annex provides Parties with the means to facilitate the provision of professional services within the Region. Including: strengthening dialogue between relevant institutions that recognize professional qualifications, and encouraging RCEP Parties or relevant institutions to negotiate on professional qualifications, licensing or registration of professional service sectors that we are concerned about. In addition, Parties or relevant agencies are encouraged to develop mutually accepted professional standards and guidelines in areas such as education, examinations, experience, codes of conduct and ethics, professional development and recertification, scope of practice, and consumer protection. Chapter 9 Movement of Natural Persons This chapter sets out the commitments made by the Parties to facilitate the temporary entry and temporary stay of natural persons engaged in trade in goods, provision of services or investments, formulates the rules for the approval of such temporary entry and temporary stay permits by the Parties, and improves the Mobility policy transparency. The attached commitment table sets out the commitments covering categories such as business visitors and intra-company mobile personnel, as well as the conditions and restrictions required by the commitments. Chapter 10 Investment This chapter covers the four aspects of investment protection, liberalization, promotion and facilitation. It is an integration and upgrade of the original "ASEAN '10 1' Free Trade Agreement" investment rules, including commitment to most-favored nation treatment, prohibition of performance requirements, Adopt a negative list model to make market access commitments in non-service sectors and apply a ratchet mechanism (that is, the level of future liberalization cannot be retrogressed). The investment facilitation component also includes dispute prevention and coordinated resolution of foreign business complaints. Attached to this chapter is a table of investment and non-conforming measure commitments of all parties. Chapter 11 Intellectual Property This chapter provides a balanced and inclusive approach to the protection and promotion of intellectual property in the region.

The content covers a wide range of fields such as copyrights, trademarks, geographical indications, patents, designs, genetic resources, traditional knowledge and folklore, anti-unfair competition, intellectual property law enforcement, cooperation, transparency, technical assistance, etc. Its overall protection level is higher than that of "Trade and Trade". The relevant intellectual property rights agreement has been strengthened. Chapter 12 E-commerce This chapter aims to promote the use and cooperation of e-commerce between Parties and lists provisions that encourage Parties to improve trade management and procedures through electronic means; requires Parties to create a favorable environment for e-commerce and protect electronic commerce. Personal information of business users, provide protection for online consumers, and strengthen supervision and cooperation on unsolicited commercial electronic information; propose relevant measures and directions for the location of computer facilities and cross-border transmission of information through electronic means, and establish a regulatory policy space. Parties also agreed to maintain the current practice of not imposing tariffs on e-commerce in accordance with the decision of the WTO Ministerial Conference. Chapter 13 Competition This Chapter sets out a framework for Parties to cooperate on competition policy and law with a view to improving economic efficiency and consumer welfare. It imposes an obligation on Contracting Parties to establish or maintain laws or institutions to prohibit activities that restrict competition, while recognizing the sovereign right of Contracting Parties to formulate and enforce domestic competition laws and allowing exclusions based on public policy or public interests. or exemption. This Chapter also involves the protection of consumer rights and interests. Parties are obliged to adopt or maintain domestic laws and regulations to prevent misleading conduct or false or misleading descriptions in trade; to promote the understanding and use of consumer redress mechanisms; to provide relevant safeguards. Consumers cooperate with their interests. Chapter 14 Small and Medium Enterprises Parties agree to provide a platform for small and medium-sized enterprises talks in the Agreement to carry out economic cooperation projects and activities aimed at increasing the utilization of the Agreement by small and medium-sized enterprises and benefiting from the opportunities created by the Agreement, and to integrate small and medium-sized enterprises into the regional within the mainstream of the supply chain. The agreement emphasizes the full enjoyment of information related to small and medium-sized enterprises in RCEP, including the content of the agreement, laws and regulations in the field of trade and investment related to small and medium-sized enterprises, and other business-related information that small and medium-sized enterprises participate in and benefit from the agreement. Chapter 15 Economic and Technical Cooperation This chapter provides a framework for realizing the common development of RCEP countries, making contributions to all parties fully benefiting from the implementation and utilization of the agreement and narrowing the development gap between the parties. Under this Chapter, Parties will implement technical assistance and capacity-building projects to promote inclusive, effective and efficient implementation and utilization of the Agreement in all areas, including trade in goods, trade in services, investment, intellectual property rights, competition, small and medium-sized enterprises and e-commerce. Priority will also be given to the needs of the least developed countries. Chapter 16 The Government Procurement Agreement recognizes the role of government procurement in promoting regional economic integration to promote economic development, and will strive to improve the transparency of laws, regulations and procedures, and promote cooperation between the contracting parties in government procurement. This chapter contains review provisions aimed at future improvements to this chapter to facilitate government procurement. Chapter 17 General Provisions and Exceptions This chapter stipulates the general provisions applicable to the entire RCEP Agreement, including the transparency of Parties’ laws, regulations, procedures and generally applicable administrative rulings, and the establishment of appropriate review and appeal mechanisms for each Party’s administrative procedures. , protection of confidential information, geographical scope of application of the agreement, etc. At the same time, this chapter incorporates the general exceptions listed in Article 20 of GATT 1994 and Article 14 of GATS into this Agreement with necessary modifications. A Contracting Party may take such actions or measures as it deems necessary to protect its essential security interests. This Chapter also allows Parties to take certain measures if they face serious balance of payments imbalances, external financial difficulties or threats. Chapter 18 Institutional Provisions This chapter stipulates the institutional arrangements of RCEP, as well as the structure of the Ministerial Council, Joint Committees and other committees or subcommittees. The Joint Committee will oversee and guide the implementation of the Agreement, including overseeing and coordinating the work of new or future subsidiary bodies under the Agreement. Chapter 19 Dispute Settlement This Chapter aims to provide for effective, efficient and transparent procedures for the settlement of disputes arising under the Agreement. There are clear provisions on the selection of relevant venues for dispute settlement, consultation between the parties to the dispute, mediation, mediation or mediation, the establishment of expert groups, and the rights of third parties.

This chapter also stipulates in detail the functions of the expert group, the procedures of the expert group, the implementation of the final report of the expert group, implementation review procedures, compensation and suspension of concessions or other obligations, etc. Chapter 20 Final Provisions This chapter mainly includes the treatment of annexes, appendices and footnotes; the relationship between the Agreement and other international agreements; the general review mechanism; the entry into force, custody, amendment, accession and withdrawal provisions of the Agreement, etc. Designates the Secretary-General of ASEAN as the depositary of the Agreement to receive and distribute documents to all Parties, including all notifications, requests for accession, ratifications, acceptances or approvals. The treaty’s entry into force clause stipulates that the agreement requires at least six ASEAN member states and three ASEAN Free Trade Agreement partners to deposit their letters of ratification, acceptance or approval before it officially enters into force.